Auckland Council has welcomed an Auckland District Court decision to convict a house moving company for cutting down three pohutukawa trees on public land.
The trees were removed from the road reserve in Ropata Avenue, Point England in September 2014, while a house was being moved onto an adjacent property.
Andrews House Movers Ltd accepted responsibility for the incident, as the trees were removed without a consent.
The company will be replacing the trees at a cost of $27,393.87. It will additionally donate $3000 to Project Crimson, an organisation involved with planting pohutukawa, and pay the council’s costs of $3000.
Check before you chop
Auckland Council’s manager compliance – resource consents, Stefan Naude, says the decision is a timely reminder to check before you chop.
“While recently the RMA rules that protect trees on private properties have changed, trees on public property, in parks, and road reserves, are still protected.
“If you want to trim or remove a tree, it’s best to get in touch with us to find out what tree protection rules are in place. There might be a scheduled tree on your property that is protected and a consent might be required before carrying out any work.”
You can find out more about working around protected trees here.
